Episode 122

EPISODE 122
LEVEL A2

 

READING COMPREHENSION

 

Drug companies to cut down gifts for doctors.

The pharmaceutical industry across the whole European continent now has to follow a tough new code of practice. Drugs companies will have to limit the entertainment they provide to doctors. This follows accusations that companies entertain doctors in order to influence prescribing patterns. The code tries to respond to such criticism. It puts a strict limit on hospitality and gifts that can be offered to doctors or other drug prescribers. For example, pharmaceutical companies are no longer allowed to offer personal gifts to healthcare professionals. Any gift offered should be relevant to office use and its value restricted to ten euros. Invitations to sporting or other leisure events are no longer allowed, either. The code also places tight limits on the widespread practice of companies funding doctors’ travel to scientific conferences in order to gain credibility for their products. Drug companies are now allowed to pay only economy air fares for doctors when travel is justified. In addition, payment for spouses is no longer allowed. There will be sanctions and annual audits to ensure everybody follows the code. Some countries, including Sweden, the UK, France and Spain, have already brought in tough industry codes of practice. However, a few other EU countries may have to change their culture to meet the demands of the new proposals.

 

Exercise 1

Match the two columns to form collocations from the text:

1. to follow            (air) fares
2. to provide         a code
3. to respond        a limit on sth
4. to put                credibility
5. to offer              demands
6. to place             entertainment
7. to gain               gifts
8. to pay                limits
9. to meet             to criticism

 

Exercise 2

Match the words in the first column with their synonyms from the text in the second:

1. to reduce                   a) allowed
2. strict                          b) annual
3. to react                      c) demands
4. appropriate              d) relevant
5. worth                         e) respond
6. limited                       f) restricted
7. permitted                  g) spouse
8. husband or wife      h) tough
9. yearly                         i) value
10. to implement          j) to cut down
11. requirements          k) to bring in

 

Exercise 3

Unjumble these words taken from the text:

1. hccmraplieatau p____________________ = farmaceutyczny
2. etentmnentira e____________________ = rozrywka
3. tcsnoiaucas a____________________ = oskarżenia
4. ipytahotsil h____________________ = gościnność
5. trecaelhha h____________________ = służba zdrowia
6. tniaiintvo i____________________ = zaproszenie
7. wpsrddeaie w____________________ = szeroko rozpowszechniony
8. yiiblidtcre c____________________ = wiarygodność
9. utiijfdes j____________________ = uzasadniony
10. sudnrtyi i____________________ = branżowy
11. spprooal p____________________ = propozycja

 

Phrasals, phrasals…

The reading text contains the phrasal verb “bring in” (Some countries, including Sweden, the UK, France and Spain, have already brought in tough industry codes of practice.) here meaning “wprowadzać”. Here are other examples of the use of this verb:

• New safety regulations have been brought in.
• Congress brought in reforms to prevent abuse of presidential power.
• She said the government would bring in the necessary legislation to deal with the problem.

 

Grammar corner…

The text contains such a sentence: For example, pharmaceutical companies are no longer allowed to offer healthcare professionals personal gifts. The underlined expression “no longer” means here more or less “już nie” and it is quite a common way of saying this.

 

Exercise 4

Translate these sentences so that they contain the expression “no longer”:

1. Anna już tu nie pracuje.
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Już się tym nie zajmuję.
_____________________________________________________________________
3. Już tam nie mieszkamy.
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Już nie popełniam tego błędu.
_____________________________________________________________________
5. Nasza firma już nie prowadzi z nimi interesów.
_____________________________________________________________________

 

 

GLOSSARY

drug/pharmaceutical company – firma farmaceutyczna
to cut down – ograniczyć, “obciąć” (jakieś przywileje)
tough – ciężki, trudny, surowy
code of practice – kodeks postępowania
to limit – ograniczyć
entertainment – rozrywka
accusations – oskarżenia
prescribing – przepisywanie leków
pattern – wzór, model
to respond – zareagować
hospitality – gościnność
healthcare – służba zdrowia, opieka zdrowotna
relevant – odpowiedni, stosowny
value – wartość
restricted – ograniczony
invitation – zaproszenie
leisure event – wydarzenie rekreacyjne
allowed – dozwolony
tight limit – ścisłe ograniczenie
widespread – szeroko rozpowszechniony
to gain – zdobyć, zyskać
credibility – wiarygodność
air fares – opłaty lotnicze
justified – uzasadniony
spouse – małżonek
sanction – sankcja
annual – (co)roczny
to ensure – zapewnić
to follow – tu: przestrzegać
to bring in – wprowadzać
industry – tu: branżowy
to meet – spełnić
demands – wymogi
proposal – propozycja

 

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